


Addicted to You

by Leen_PhoenixRae



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Other, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-09-30 11:30:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17223230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leen_PhoenixRae/pseuds/Leen_PhoenixRae
Summary: Don't you just hate it when you realize you're so darn interested in the last person on earth you should be interested in?





	1. I. Oh Brother!

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic was originally written and posted on a different site back in 2005.
> 
> It is a WIP that I "abandoned," but recently decided to pick it up and rework the first four chapters that are already published. This here is the revised first four chapters with future chapters to come.

SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GINNY WEASLEY looked at her reflection from the loo's waist-length mirror before stepping out to rejoin her brother and his friends in the compartment they snagged as soon as they boarded the Hogwarts Express. She was sixteen years old, _just turned_ sweet sixteen a couple of weeks ago actually, and still she looked the same. Not that her attitude hasn't changed. No, she showed a great big deal of  _change_  over the course of the last couple of years, since she entered her fourth year. She had no problem when it came to her attitude; she mastered the Art of Snark (or whatever the hell people want to call her bitchiness) with no problem. But look-wise...well, she still has the same long, bright copper red hair, pert nose sprinkled with freckles, lips that doesn't look like it had been ravished senseless even though she has had a string of boyfriends since Michael Corner and a body that doesn't scream GODDESS!

        Well, scratch that last part. She doesn't give a hoot whether she has a body to die for. But she wouldn't mind having a bit of padding on her chest. And maybe some padding would do for her back bumper as well. Not too much though, just enough to accentuate the skirts she often wore or the skinny jeans or short shorts she enjoys wearing during her down times (i.e. the days she wasn’t in school).

        Turning sideways, Ginny stood on tiptoes to catch a glimpse of her ample-sized behind. She let out a disgruntled sigh after catching a glimpse of her not-quite-there rump and faced the mirror once again. She straightened her skirt (she opted to wear a knee-length flowy skirt today as opposed to pants), checked her appearance in the mirror one last time then stepped out of the loo.

        There was no point in wallowing in self-pity right now. This was what she was blessed with and by Jove she'd better live with it. Otherwise if she kept on wishing for a different body or more of this or more of that, she'd end up looking like a freak, and she didn't want  _that_  to happen.

        As she neared the compartment where she left Harry, Neville, Luna, Seamus and Dean, Ginny heard the all too familiar sound of the bane of her very existence's voice accompanied by her brother's and Harry's equally loud voices with Hermione's voice thrown in to referee the impending squabble that was to follow (Ron and Hermione must’ve finished doing their Prefect and Head Girl duties if they were back at their compartment already). Rolling her eyes skyward, Ginny slowed down her pace as she neared her compartment and listened, like everyone else on the train whose heads were poking out of their own compartments, to what the new Head Boy was arguing about with her Prefect of a brother and his best friend.

        "And who gave you the right to take full advantage of that shiny new badge of yours, huh?" that was Ron yelling at the Head Boy to the top of his lungs.

        "Watch it, Weasel-bee, or I might take points off Gryffindor before we even reach Hogwarts," warned Malfoy in his usual High and Almighty tone looking down his nose at the fuming red head seventh year, not that he towered over Ron's six foot flat frame Malfoy was only an inch and a half taller than the redhead.

        "You're already abusing your right, Malfoy," came Harry's equally annoyed remark, glaring at the blond haired Slytherin through his round specs.

        "So what if I am? Like you can do anything about it, Scarhead," remarked Malfoy.

        A shuffling of feet was heard, but no one's fist connected with anyone's jaw yet. But that was all thanks to Hermione who stood between the snotty Slytherin Head Boy and her two best friends. Harry and Ron were also being held back by Dean, Seamus and Neville who were hidden from everyone's view inside the compartment while Crabbe and Goyle flanked Malfoy on either side of him.

        "Will you three put a sock in it?" demanded Hermione, turning her head from side to side, looking at her best friends then at Malfoy before turning back to address Ron and Harry, "Ignore Malfoy. We all know he's all bark and no such bite he doesn't even carry rabies."

        Malfoy made a noise in his throat to argue Hermione's point, but the new Head Girl silenced him quickly with a warning, "And  _you_  better not throw your weight around too damn much. Remember what happened to you back in the summer before sixth year?" She cocked an eyebrow and waited for realization to sink it. Satisfied she added, "You messed with the wrong boy, Malfoy, and Head Boy or not, mess with Harry again and I won't stop whoever is within hearing  _and_  hexing range to throw a curse at you."

        Ginny watched from her vantage point of view the blond Slytherin back down, but not willingly.

        Malfoy knew Hermione wasn't lying when she made that threat. He was surrounded by quite a few members of the DA team; Head Boy or not, he was outnumbered even if he was prancing around the train with Crabbe and Goyle standing guard. With one last parting pot-shot aimed at Ron and Harry, he turned away from the small group with his two hulking cronies following him. They were headed her way and Ginny flattened herself against the wall to avoid being run over. She knew he'd just walk past her without a single thought to her person, but she spoke too soon. When the annoying prat was merely a foot away from her his gray gaze zeroed in on her and instead of walking past her he made a small detour turn and stopped right in front of her, his cross between musclely and scraggy form towering over her.

        Now Ginny wasn't the type to be easily intimidated. After all she'd been through so much since she entered Hogwarts she was used to hardships by now. Instead of cowering from the immovable force that was Draco Malfoy she pulled herself together, squared her shoulders and jutted her chin to the air.

        "What do you want, Ferret Breath?" She might as well be on the defensive side before he beat her to it. If she showed him that she wasn't a pushover he might just leave her alone. But that little trick of hers didn't work.

        "Oh-ho, looks like we have another tough-as-nails weasel on the loose," he mocked, looking on either side of him at his cronies before all three of them laughed.

        Ginny merely looked bored and cocked an eyebrow. "I believe you and your two poor excuse for bodyguards are on your way to cause havoc and mayhem elsewhere."

        "Since  _when_  did you grow a backbone, Weaselette?"

        "Since the day you messed with me and ended up with a Bat Bogey Hex, that's when."

        For the first time since Ginny locked horns with Malfoy since that incident two years ago Malfoy had been at her case, looking for excuses to get her in detention or take points off Gryffindor he was finally rendered, he was finally rendered speechless. Usually he had some witty remark ready to be shot back at her, but this time she caught him off guard and took full advantage of it. With a quick head-to-foot once over at the galling Head Boy, Ginny stalked away from him and rejoined her brother and friends inside their compartment.

 

* * *

 

GAAAAAH! SHE WAS BLOODY ANNOYING! Tried as he might she always gets on his nerves. She managed to get under his skin and made him resort to hitting something solid. Unfortunately he couldn't punch and cause damage on the train wall otherwise he would've done so.

        He didn't know  _why_  he passed by the compartment she was sharing with Potter and his friends. The first time he walked past that compartment he didn't see her. He should've let it go then and moved on, but no, he was a glutton for punishment and walked past their damn compartment three more times with Crabbe and Goyle before they caught the attention of the hot-headed Prefect who quickly assumed he was up to no good.

        Draco wasn't sporting for a fight with the last of the Weasley boys to attend Hogwarts; that was the last thing on his mind. He wasn't  _that_  bored yet to pick a fight with that Muggle-loving lowlife. Maybe later, when they were close to Hogwarts he might pick on him, but for the time being he was just on the lookout for the youngest Weasley offspring who happened to be away from the compartment. Now  _her_  he would pick a fight with any damn time he pleased whether he was in the mood or not.

        Usually he was _in the mood_ to pick a fight with her, just to see her get all flustered and ruffled ready to throw a punch (or hex, whichever comes first) at him.

        He seemed to have picked up that annoying habit since...well, since he was un-hexed before leaving the train to enjoy his summer before his sixth year. And it was only when the youngest Weasley offspring was involved. He could care less about Potter whom he was still livid with after what he and his meddlesome friends did to his father and his friends; he was more interested in getting under Ginny Weasley's skin.

        "There you are, Drake," cooed Pansy Parkinson, a Prefect and ardent admirer of his, as soon as he returned back to his own compartment. She was one of his many follies he wished he hadn't indulged in, but she was... _there_  and so he took advantage of the situation. Now he wished he kept his cool and remained aloof and kept her at bay. And when will she learn that he hated that pet name she kept on calling him?

        "We heard you got into a bit of a scuffle with Potter and Weasley," commented Blaise Zabini from where he sat on the corner of the compartment near the window.

        "Did you three get hexed again?" Although the question was delivered straight-faced by Pansy’s close friend, Millicent Boulstrode, Draco knew the seventh year was doing her damnedest not to snort.

        God he hated Potter and his friends so much!

        "We weren't sportin' for a fight," grunted Crabbe and took his place beside Blaise.

        Draco was thankful his chosen 'bodyguards' knew when to deflect any questions he didn't want to answer.

        "Malfoy was doing his patrolling then Weasley decided to act all kingly and questioned  _what_  we were doing out in the corridor," explained Goyle who sandwiched himself between Pansy and Millicent, which left Draco to take the seat closest to the door beside Crabbe.

        Thank Merlin for small mercies! He didn’t want to endure sitting sandwiched between Pansy and Millicent for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts.

        "The nerve of him!" pouted Pansy, looking across the compartment at the still silent blond haired Head Boy. "He should know better than to question the school Head Boy what he was doing out on the corridor." Looking past Goyle she met Millicent's gaze and added, "He's a Prefect after all and  _he_  too should be patrolling the corridors."

        "Which is what you and Zabini should be doing right now. McMillan and Abbott are done their round a while ago," Draco answered sourly.

        "Oh," Pansy managed to look bashful and batting her lashes a bit, she excused herself from everyone and beckoned Blaise to join her for their turn to make sure everyone was behaving themselves.

        Draco breathed a sigh of relief once Parkinson left. He knew it wasn't their turn yet to patrol the corridors; Ravenclaw Prefects' Patil and Goldstein were up next to do their rounds, but Draco wanted to be left alone not be coddled and fussed about a lot by Parkinson.

        He  _really_  shouldn't have encouraged her the last couple of years. Fifth year he was far too busy enjoying the perks of being a part of the Inquisition Squad to pay attention to how he was treating Parkinson, but then sixth year came and...well, okay, so he  _had_  a lapse in judgment somewhere in the middle of sixth year at Hogwarts, but he shouldn't have left it unfinished as far as Parkinson was concerned!


	2. II. Outta My Way!

FIRST WEEK BACK AND ALREADY IT FELT like they'd been back for at least six months! Who would've thought sixth year would be just as stressful as fifth year?

        "Can somebody wake me up when it's time to open Christmas presents?" groaned Ginny from underneath the puke-green and brown square throw pillow with annoying tassels on all four corners.

        "What are you talking about, Gin?" Harry asked with a frown. He spared a glance at the stressed-out sixth year on the cozy armchair near the fireplace from the nearly mountainous amount of homework piled up in front of him. "It's still September."

        Ginny snatched the pillow off her face and glared at Harry. "I was being sarcastic, you know?" she deadpanned before sliding off her seat to grab a piece of parchment from her bag. "Were you this miserable last year?"

        Harry gave a non-committal shrug, his quill arrested mid-writing as he read what he just wrote for his Potions essay.

        Ginny glared at him for ignoring her. Not that she blamed him. She heard what kind of class he had all week; Snape seemed to be all huffy about a potion gone wrong in his class and it had something to do with Harry and Neville pairing up together for the project and nearly causing the dungeon classroom to dissolve into nothing but the rock-solid walls that held it together. And to top things off, an incident in their Care for Magical Creatures class was then blamed on Harry again. It had something to do with one of the Bicorn Hagrid showed them nearly eating  _half_  of the students present.

        She wasn’t clear on what really happened, but since Gryffindor shared the class with Slytherin, Ginny bet her entire year’s allowance (however measly it was) that those gits from Slytherin were the culprit and decided to blame Gyrffindor for it.

        Ginny wasn't sure exactly  _what_  Harry did to annoy the Bicorn, but she had a gut-feeling both incidents were caused by Malfoy and his cronies; they shared the same classes with Harry and it wasn't like Harry to screw up big time in Potions. Well, at least not always anyway. Neville she could picture making a huge mess since the poor bloke was scared shitless of their Potions Master, but Harry? It doesn't seem to add up.

        "Are you going to ignore me the entire time we're here?" she asked, hoping he'd at least pay attention to her and  _talk_  instead of pouring over parchment after parchment of essays and questionnaires needed to be answered. She wasn't in the mood much to study this evening. It was Friday night and the last thing on her mind was homework. Heck, tonight was the first night since term began that she can actually relax and not think about an unfinished homework!

        Harry remained enthralled with his essay writing to actually pay attention to her. After a few more attempts to get Harry to talk to her, Ginny gave up and packed up her stuff. It was when she was putting her ink bottle away that Harry lifted his head from what he was writing and frowned at her.

        "You're done already?"

        Ginny cocked an eyebrow and looked at him. "Took you long enough to pay attention to me," she retorted.

        Harry made a face at her and straightened up where he sat. "Where are you going? I thought you dragged me here to work on our homework while Ron and Hermione are away on some Prefect and Head Boy and Girl meeting?"

        "I know, I know. But I realized I don't really want to study or do my homework right now. It's Friday. Let's go wander around outside," she invited.

        "It's almost eight. We can't wander around the castle at eight unless we were held up outside because of Quidditch practice," he pointed out.

        "Since  _when_  did you become Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes, Harry?"

        Harry didn't like the tone she used on him. "I only want to make sure I don't get into detention with Snape  _or_  fail his class. It's NEWT Potions now, remember?"

        As if she needed reminding. Harry had been whining and complaining about it since they received their time table on the first day of classes. It was a wonder Harry passed his OWL exam for Potions, even more so than when she found out  _Neville_  made it to the cut as well! She didn't want to bring the poor klutzy Gryffindor boy down, but with what she has heard Neville rave on about whenever he was in Snape's class, she was really shocked when she found out he was attending NEWT Potions classes with Hermione, Harry and, Ginny gulped and paused, even her brother, Ron.

        "Is it  _my_  fault that you landed yourself in that class?" Ginny cocked an eyebrow at him as she zipped up her bag.

        "Ginny..." Harry warned.

        "Sorry. Time of the month," she hastily made up an excuse and broke to one of her sweet as sugar smiles.

        "Time of the month?" he echoed, "Already?"

        Ginny shot him a look that told him to zip it. He knew far too much about her it was scary.

        Grinning she got up, pulled her bag's strap over her shoulder and leaned down to plant a chaste peck on Harry's lips. "Sometimes I regret ever telling you when I have my period. And I hate it that I am so damn regular like clockwork that you're able to remember my cycle," she said under her breath before bidding him good night. Just because she and Harry didn't work out when they tried dating last year doesn't mean she can't enjoy the perks of giving her ex-boyfriend chaste kisses whenever she was in the mood.

        "Exactly  _what_  happened between you and Ginny, huh Harry?" came Hermione's voice from somewhere over Harry's head while he sat on the floor, his back pressed against one of the armchairs facing the staircases leading to both the girls and boys' bedrooms.

        Harry jumped at the sound of Hermione's voice, making him spill ink on his essay paper. With a quick flick of his wand, he muttered a Vanishing Spell and the ink stain disappeared from his paper. Glaring up at Hermione who was leaning on the back of the arm chair looking down at him, he snapped, "Next time clear your voice or something to alert me that you're there!"

        Hermione had the audacity to giggle and rounded the chair, chiding Harry to move aside and sat down. Resting her elbows on her thighs, she leaned over and asked, "Well? Are you going to answer my question or not?"

        Harry stalled for time. He put his ink bottle away and shuffled some of his loose parchments.

        "Harry..."

        "What's it to you?"

        Now Hermione was doubly intrigued. Did she just touch a raw nerve there? She was surprised when Harry and Ginny announced that they were through, but they remained friends and sometimes, when they thought no one was watching, acted like they were still together.

        "I'm just curious," she shrugged.

        "Ginny and I had a great time together. We're still friends now, aren't we?" was his reply although it wasn't what Hermione was hoping to hear.

        "I know that. And I'm happy as well as surprised that you two manage to remain friends. I remember Ginny's last couple of boyfriends. After the relationship was over she couldn't wait to get as far away from them as possible!"

        "That's because those guys are gits," answered Harry, his unruly dark head bent down and his hand flying on the piece of parchment.

        "So...if you two were happy together..."

        "Hermione, Ginny and I are friends. We realized while we were in a relationship that we were better off as friends, and friends we became. End of story."

        Hermione was taken aback by Harry's attitude. He sounded like she was intruding. Well, she  _was_  intruding in a way, but this was unlike Harry to keep a secret from her. Usually when he was crazy over a girl he couldn't wait to share every detail of his feelings with her; okay, so not  _every detail_ , but Harry usually filled her in on enough to know where he stood with his current ladylove.

        Harry tried to concentrate once again on what he was doing, but with Hermione around and asking questions she shouldn't be asking because he wasn't ready to give her the answers she was looking for, Harry found it difficult to concentrate. He tried for a full minute to center his attention on explaining why his Burn-Healing Paste turned red instead of orange, but it was to no avail.

        "I can't do this right now," he announced and threw his quill and parchment on the table. "I think I'm gonna take Ginny's advice and just  _relax_  tonight," he added and cleared his books, quill, ink bottle and parchments off the table.

        "What? But you were on a roll there. I was reading over your shoulder what you were writing and..."

        Harry stopped putting his stuff away into his bag and looked at Hermione, "Mione, in as much as I  _appreciate_  you lending me a hand every now and then, sometimes I  _mind_  it that you read over my shoulder."

        "I was just trying to make sure that you're writing that essay correctly. I heard what Snape said to you in class this morning. I think he's now  _regretting_  accepting you and Neville in his NEWT Potions class," Hermione replied warily.

        "Gee, thanks for your confidence in Neville and I."

        "I didn't mean to make it sound that way, Harry," Hermione tried to explain. "But since you and Snape don't really see each other eye-to-eye..." She let her voice drift off and Harry picked up what she meant.

        With a curt nod he finished putting his stuff away and got up. "Right now all I'm worried about is passing NEWT Potions as well as making sure Hagrid doesn't skin me alive for that fiasco in class yesterday."

        "But that wasn't even your fault.  _Malfoy_  taunted the Bicorn, Harry. You just happened to be at the wrong place at exactly the wrong time."

        "Hagrid doesn't seem to think so. He was livid when he saw where I was and  _what_  I was holding."

        "You shouldn't have caught that damn whip when Malfoy threw it at you," scolded Hermione.

        "Reflexes," muttered Harry.

        "I don't care. You were setup. I don't know what Malfoy's playing at here, but he's out to ruin you."

        "Malfoy's been out to ruin me since fifth year,  _after_  I helped out his father being an active Death Eater," Harry pointed out.

        "Regardless," Hermione shrugged. "He's playing with fire, Harry. A  _dangerous_  fire."

        "Whatever. He's out to make sure I look stupid in every damn class we have together. But I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of rattling my chains," Harry said indignantly.

        "That's the spirit!" cheered Hermione, her smile reaching from ear to ear.

        Harry was momentarily rendered speechless as he gazed at her smile and how it lit up her entire face. He had known Hermione Granger for seven years now and he doesn't really know when he noticed, but despite of what the others say, she was one of the prettiest girls in all of Hogwarts. If she groomed herself a bit more and paid more attention to how she wears her hair she'd be one of the most sought-after girls in school.

 

* * *

 

DRACO GRIPPED HIS SPOON TIGHTLY IT nearly snapped in half. He was seated inside the Great Hall across from the Gryffindor table at breakfast the next morning and he happened to look up just in time catch Potter putting his arm around  _her._  They've been acting so damn cozy-sweet he was having a toothache just watching them!

        He was soon losing his appetite. Why the heck was it affecting him so? Like he gave a damn whether Potter and Weasley's sister are together (did they even split up?). She was just this annoying presence in his life that he needed to get rid off and fast! He was fast becoming obsessed and it wasn't what he wanted to obsess over with. Not with the coming war (if it hadn't arrived already). He needed to stay focused. Addling his mind with thoughts of a pesky red head wouldn't do him much good.

        "Drake, are you okay?" asked Pansy who wedged herself between him and Goyle at the table. "It looks like you haven't touched your cereals yet," she pointed out.

        "I'm fine, Parkinson," Draco hissed through his gritted teeth. Merlin, was this woman so damn thick in the head? Couldn't she tell he wasn't interested in her anymore? And he was never  _that_  interested in her to begin with. She was just  _convenient_  at the time. She had connections his father could use, and Lucius gave him strict orders to make friends with as many housemates of his as possible.

        "You don't look fine, Drake," Pansy insisted, moving in closer beside him. "You're not coming down with something, are you?" She reached over to touch the back of her hand to his forehead.

        "No," he replied flatly, dodging her approaching hand before shoving it away completely.

        "You look pale," Pansy pointed out, pouting that her attempt to coddle him was rejected, but that didn’t stop her from fussing over him like he was a bloody three-year-old!

        "Look, Parkinson, I appreciate you fussing over me, but I'm just not hungry." To prove his point Draco pushed his bowl away and dropped his spoon on the table. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'd go take a walk outside and enjoy some fresh air." He pushed himself off his seat and swung his leg over the bench chair. Slipping his hands inside his trouser pockets, he walked away from the Slytherin table and headed straight for the door.

        As soon as he crossed the threshold of the high Great Hall doors and was halfway down to the Entrance Hall's doors he was joined by someone he didn't want to be seen with nor be within the same vicinity with. It was worse than having Parkinson follow him around fussing like some mother hen.

        "Trouble in paradise, Ferret Breath?" asked Ginny Weasley as she fell into step beside him.

        "What do you want, Weaselette?"

        "A word...or two...or three...or four...or, hey, if I get lucky I might get  _ten_  words with you," she shrugged nonchalantly.

        " _What_  in the name of Merlin are you going on about?" Draco wasn't in the mood to play  _nice_  with anyone, regardless if they were in the same house as his or not.

        "Oh, you know what I'm talking about, Malfoy. You think you're too smart but actually I'm on to you," she taunted airily, clasping her hands behind her and walked with her chin held high and chest out.

        Now he was doubly confused. And how the hell did she manage to get here so fast? Last time he checked she was still cozily ensconced in Potter's arm in the Great Hall when he left. She couldn't have run from her table to go after him.

        "Did you drink too much Butterbeer by any chance, Weaselette? I think you've suddenly gone daft."

        "Nope. Haven't even had any Butterbeers since...oh, since the day before I left for Hogwarts, which was like a week ago already."

        "Whatever," he mumbled and continued walking, crossing the Entrance Hall's large doors and stopped at the top of the stone steps, inhaling the fresh morning air and filling his lungs with it. He had been cooped-up inside the castle (with the exception of him going to his Care for Magical Creatures and Herbology classes) for far too long he actually looked forward to spending his first weekend back at Hogwarts  _outside_ – and preferably _alone_.

        He'd ignore her. She wasn't as thick as Parkinson to not get the hint. He wanted to be left alone, dammit! He skipped breakfast to be rid off  _one_  annoyance, only to be replaced by another one.

        Crossing the yard to the grass to join the other students basking under the warm morning sun by the lake, Draco kept his pace, half paying attention to his unwanted companion who kept up with his pace. Reaching a big, sturdy tree, he made a movement to head that way only to change his mind at the last minute and headed straight towards the lake.

        Ginny didn't lose Malfoy. She stuck to him like glue. If he thought he could go around making Harry's life hell on his last year at Hogwarts, well, the silly blond git had another think coming! She made up her mind last night that she'd talk to him and make him see the light (or the tip of her wand before she hurtle another one of her more powerful hexes she has learned over the course of the years).

        After a good ten minutes of walking here and there by the lake and back up to the castle entrance before detouring elsewhere, Draco has had enough. He wanted to be left alone, but his wish wasn't going to be granted due to the pesky redhead tailing him. He needed to lose her. He has done almost everything  _but_  curse her to oblivion, but being Head Boy he had to maintain his head (not to mention his cool when it came to infuriating students) and show a good example to the other students.

        What in Merlin's beard was Dumbledore thinking of picking him as Head Boy? Now he was forced to act  _civilized_  when he was itching to snarl at some whimpering git.

        Heading down towards the Quidditch pitch, Draco kept his almost break-neck pace, keeping a close eye on the students that were soon filtering until there was no one nearby to witness him spun around abruptly, causing the relentless red head hot on his tail to suddenly stop, and grabbed her by her upper arms and dragged her to the nearest tree large enough to conceal them from anyone's eyes.

        "Will you fuckin' stop following me, Weasley? What is it you want?" he hissed through gritted teeth, keeping his temper in check whilst his grip on her upper arms tightened.

        Trying not to wince in pain at the tightness of Malfoy's grip on her arms, Ginny's brown gaze clashed with his steel gray ones. "Unhand me, Malfoy," she demanded unabashed.

        "Not until you tell me exactly  _why_  are you being such a pain in the arse."

        "If you want me to tell you that then I believe I underestimated you. I'm pretty sure you're not as dumb as you look, Ferret Breath."

        "Exactly  _what_  are you talking about?"

        "You figure it out," she taunted, shrugging her arms to be free of his grip. "I said unhand me, Malfoy, and  _don't_  make me repeat myself a third time," her tone was laced with warning, her brown eyes bore into his steel gray ones until his grip loosened before slowly letting her go.

        Stalking away from the annoying sixth year, Draco shoved his fingers through his blond hair and almost tugged an armful of hair off their roots in frustration. She was getting to him.

        Sweet Merlin... _nobody_  could get to him as much as this damnable young twit could. Even Parkinson he could tolerate; all he had to do was tune her out whenever she talked and he was all set. But Ginny Weasley? He tried. Oh God, he tried so damn much to tune her out, blot her from his thoughts. Heck, he even tried to exorcise himself off whatever that galling redhead bewitched him with, but to no avail.

        She still got to him. Every time.

        Ginny remained pinned against the trunk of the large tree even though her abductor released her. She watched the tall, blond haired seventh year Head Boy's back as he stood a good arm's length away from her, one hand raked through his hair, gripping those precious locks of his until she feared he'd pull a handful off their roots. Not that she cared. Of course she didn't care! So what if he pulled off a chunk of hair off his head? She'd just laugh at him for looking stupid. Or will she?

        Her mind was a scrambled mess right now. She knew she was playing with fire when she didn't leave him alone when he first asked her to. Okay, he  _didn't_  ask her, but he  _implied_  that he wanted to be left alone, only she didn't take heed and instead pursued him until she pushed all the buttons she could push. She only wanted to get even with him, for making Harry's, as well as Neville's and the others', life a living hell on his last year at Hogwarts.

        "Lay off Harry and my friends," she ordered, breaking the silence between them.

        Draco's back stiffened upon hearing such tall order from her. All this torment was because of him picking on Potter and his friends?  _I don't believe it!_  He thought to himself as he slowly pivoted to come face to face with the brazen redhead.

        "Are you serious, Weaselette?"

        "I mean it, Ferret Breath. If you think my following you around is annoying, wait until you taste another one of my  _delicious_  hexes." She stalked off then, giving him a sharp once-over from head to foot before he left.

        Draco remained rooted where he stood, a hand in his hair while the other was planted on his hip. His face looked aghast. It was laughable what just happened. She sure grew a backbone that one. Never in his life would he have bet on Ginny Weasley facing off with him and actually threaten him without quivering.


	3. III. Something in the Air

SEPTEMBER SOON GAVE WAY TO OCTOBER, and the leaves started to turn a wide variety of gorgeous shades of orange and red. It was Ginny's favourite time of the year. Also with the first week of October well underway, it meant Quidditch season was about to start. Ginny, along with Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team members, were all hyped up about the upcoming season. Ron showed a great big deal of improvement since he first became Keeper for Gryffindor; all he needed was a good confidence boost and voila! He was almost as good as their former Keeper, Oliver Wood.

        Ginny relinquished the Seeker position for the vacated Beater position the previous year when Harry returned to play Quidditch. Umbridge's _lifetime_ ban was lifted by Dumbledore as soon as the new term began.

        She enjoyed hitting those Bludgers so damn hard; she got a thrill watching it careen towards any unsuspecting Chasers from the opposing team. There was the occasional odd times when she had to hurtle the murderous Bludger at a Seeker when he (or she depends which house they were playing against) was being a prat and trying to beat Harry from snatching the Golden Snitch.

        "Hey Ginny," greeted Harry when he caught up with her after breakfast Wednesday morning. "Did you read the notice I put up on the board for our Quidditch practice schedule?"

        "You bet," grinned Ginny as she walked towards the staircase with her ex-boyfriend. She was headed for her Charms class and Harry was off to History of Magic. "I can't wait to get on the broom again and start hitting those Bludgers." Her grin broadened as she recalled the exhilarated feeling she often gets whenever she was perched on her broomstick smacking Bludgers left, right, center, up or down.

        "Heel, horsey,  _heel,_ " Harry teased. "You sound like you've been deprived of mounting a broom and just fly out to oblivion all summer."

        Ginny flashed him one of her numerous sweet as candy smiles and gave a slight shrug. She wasn't really deprived of enjoying a few rounds on a broomstick. Heck, just this past summer, when the coast was clear enough for them to be outside and enjoy their summer without worrying that a surprise attack would spring out of nowhere, Harry let her mount his Firebolt and rode for hours on end higher and higher into the clouds before diving back down to the grassy back lawn of the Burrow. This past summer Harry spent a full six weeks at the Burrow, thanks to Dumbeldore letting him leave the Dursleys after only a couple of weeks' stay since the beginning of summer.

        "Hey, with what I have to deal with this year, I _welcome_ the adrenaline rush I get when I am perched on my broom and soaring upward and hopefully never look back down," she confided.

        "But it's bad to never go back, then you'll miss out on all the fun stuff," came Luna's vague voice from behind the couple.

        Ginny and Harry sprang apart and looked over their shoulders at the blond Ravenclaw. Luna Lovegood smiled at the Golden Couple of Gryffindor before stepping up to join the two. "Hello Harry," she greeted the dark haired boy in that dreamy toned voice of hers before fastening her gaze back on Ginny, "And you have  _a lot_  of fun going on in your life down here, Ginny."

        "Loony, for all intents and purposes, will you  _stop_  preaching your nonsense to my sister and best mate, hm?" Ron spoke from behind the blond haired. He just emerged from the Great Hall with Hermione falling into step beside him and joined the trio.

        Luna's glittering blue eyes soon clouded over at the sound of Ron's voice, and his condescending way of talking to her, before whipping her head back and glared at the Gryffindor Prefect.

        "And how many times have I told you to  _quit_  calling me 'Loony,' huh?"

        The four Gryffindor were taken aback by this show of outburst coming from the petite blond Ravenclaw. In the last couple of years since they unwittingly accepted her to join their merry little group, this was the first time they witnessed Luna lose her cool. Usually she'd let the name-calling slip, ignore them even and act as if she heard nothing. But this morning Ron must've struck a raw nerve and yanked the sixth year's chains.

        "Whoa, got up on the wrong side of your wildly decorated four-poster bed, Loony?" Ron rebuked, still using the pet name Luna obviously despised.

        "If I were you,  _Ronniekins_ , I'd watch my back. Who knows, there might be a new song sang to you at the pitch while Gryffindor faces off with Ravenclaw for your first match." Although Luna's tone was back to its sugary sweetness, there was no doubt of the underlying threat and that made Ron gulp, but he was too darn cool to let his sudden unease show.

        Dammit! He only meant to tease the blond. He called her 'Loony' numerous times in the course of the past year and a half they've known each other and _this_ was the first time she actually complained about it. Must be her time of the month...or something.

        "Whatever..." Ron paused, took a couple of gulps then added in a sing-song like tone, "... _Loooooony._ "

 

* * *

 

 

STUPID, OBNOXIOUS, KNOW-IT-ALL, PRAT..." LUNA muttered under her breath all the way to the Great Hall after hers and Ginny's last class before lunch. She was still fuming over that crack Ron made before the five of them dispersed and went their separate ways for their first class after breakfast.

        Ginny made sure that Luna's and Ron's paths didn't cross during the intervals between classes or else her brother would be hexed senseless and Luna...well, Luna might land herself in detention since she hexed a  _Prefect_  just because he was being a smart-mouth.

        "Luna, I think _Hermione_  is the know-it-all, not my brother," Ginny corrected as they rounded the corner from their Transfiguration classroom towards the Great Hall.

        Luna stopped her hissing long enough to fix the red-haired girl with a glare fit to freeze her from head to foot. Boy, this was the first time she'd seen her friend this miffed about something. And damn her brother for goading her. Hadn't he learned  _anything_  about messing around with women, especially when their time of the month was coming or  _during_  their time of the month?

        "Ginny, I like you as a friend. Actually, you're the only one I can _call_ a friend, but right now, when I am this much pissed off at your brother, _please_ don't try to placate me, please?"

_Whoa!_  Ginny felt like she'd just been zinged by something so damn hot it would leave blisters later. For a blond, Luna's temper matched any redhead's just about now. Ron  _really_  got to her. Looks like she'd be having a  _talk_  with her brother later; she needed to get it through to that thick skull of his to lay off calling Luna 'Loony' even though he found the name to be a tad bit  _appropriate_  for the somewhat odd Ravenclaw.

        Ginny kept her mouth shut the rest of the way to the Great Hall. Luna still kept on cussing and saying things under her breath, and most of the words she came up with to call Ron weren't meant to be said out loud. Well, okay, so  _some_  of them she can say out loud when she was pissed at her brother, but not all the time. Gee, now she knew  _never_  to raise Luna Lovegood's hackles. The girl became possessed! Obsessed even.

        Ginny and Luna turned the last corner to the Great Hall when some immovable force of nature stepped out of nowhere and blocked her way, sending her flying back and landing with a resounding  _THUD!_  on the floor.

        " _Hey!_ " exclaimed Luna and for a moment stopped muttering under her breath to aide her fallen friend. "Watch where you're going, Zabini! Just because you're Prefect doesn't mean you  _own_  the hallways!"

        "Whoa, Loony's sprouted some horns," ridiculed the six-foot-four, longish dark brown haired seventh year Slytherin Prefect.

        "Who died and made  _you_  king of the smartass, Zabini? Being Prefect doesn't give you the right to step all over everyone!" Luna fired back, irritated beyond reproach. Ron already pissed her off, she doesn't need Zabini to cap it all off. And it was only midday! She still had the rest of the afternoon to go through before she could have some peace and quiet.

        The dark haired Slytherin seventh year Prefect was momentarily rendered speechless. Apparently he wasn't expecting to butt heads with the daffy sixth year Ravenclaw. In fact, Loony Lovegood didn't strike him as someone who has a temper; he pegged the Weasley girl to be the one with the temper to match her fiery red hair.

        "What? Cat got your tongue all of a sudden?" Luna taunted, her mood not changing not even one bit. She helped Ginny get back on her feet before turning her icy glare at the aloof six-foot-fourish or maybe taller Slytherin.

        "I'd watch my tongue if I were you, Loony," Blaise warned the spunky blond maliciously, a mischievous grin hovering over his thin red lips. "Are you forgetting  _who_  you're talking to?"

        Luna stepped back, an eyebrow cocked and arms crossed over her chest as she slowly appraised the arrogant prick. "How can I forget? You're just nothing but a big lump of—”

        Ginny quickly covered her suddenly mouthy friend's mouth before Luna could say something that would land the Ravenclaw in detention. Prefects may not be able to dock points off students, but they have as much authority as the Head Boy or Girl to reprimand any students who were out of line.

        "Zabini, just step out of the way," she said as kept her hand clamped on Luna's mouth. She was resisting and trying to free her mouth off Ginny's grip, but Ginny hasn't lost her marbles yet to let her friend get into a heap of trouble.

        Blaise broke eye contact with Luna long enough to address the redhead who spoke to him. His nose flared, his cheeks flushed as he tried to contain his annoyance at the two sixth years. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but decided to close it again and without another word stepped out of the way to let the two girls pass, his dark blue eyes following the back of the cheeky blond haired Ravenclaw. He was still reeling from shock at the unexpected turn of events; Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley teaming up together and spreading their  _female_  testostorone all over school. Who would've thunk it?

 

* * *

 

 

LUNA'S MOOD DIDN'T CHANGE AT ALL FOR the rest of the week. Every time she and Ron crossed paths, Ginny swore she heard the young woman snarl and hiss at her brother. Luna hasn't forgiven Ron for calling her 'Loony,' and everyday it seemed like Luna's plans on making Ron pay became more and more...scary. Just last night when they agreed to work together on a class project Luna was actually considering using the potion they were researching on Ron to addle his mind a bit and make him susceptible to Luna's every bidding.

        Now  _that_  was freaky.

        Ginny couldn't also help but notice how Blaise Zabini's eyes manage to stay on Luna for more than two seconds whenever they passed by each other in the hallways. The day Zabini and Luna nearly butted heads was still fresh in her mind; she was beginning to see a side to Luna Lovegood that was kept dormant for a friggin' long time! And she was beginning to see a side to Zabini she didn't think possible, and even up to this day she was still in denial in what she saw in the dark haired Slytherin Prefect's eyes.

        Ginny was still thinking about her friend's 'new side' as well as her other discoveries as she mounted her broom and pushed off the ground for their first Quidditch practice before the start of the season. Harry was already busy yelling at Colin Creevey to keep his mind on the game plan and  _not_  to chase the only other female team member around like some lovesick puppy (both Colin and Juliet Webster, a fourth year, are Chasers along with Dean) while Ron couldn't keep his mind on the game.

        So far he let numerous Quaffles through the hoops and Harry wasn't too pleased. Seamus, however, was doing a heckuva good job hitting the damn Bludgers back and forth with her Ginny was beginning to think with each hard hit on the darn ball, Seamus was getting turned on by it or something. But of course that was just her sick, perverted mind at work. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but notice how Seamus' face would light up every time Ginny hit the ball his way and he hits it back;  _he_  was creeping her out too!

        By the time practice was over, all of them were soaked with sweat. Well,  _she_  was soaked with sweat. Harry's throat was hoarse from yelling at his Keeper and Chasers to fess-up. Seamus just got jolly hitting the Bludger it was a wonder Ginny still had her arm intact after.

        "Are you okay, Harry?" Ginny asked when she caught-up with their Seeker and Captain as they all packed it up and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.

        "I don't know if I made the right decision of giving the Chaser position to Juliet. Colin can't seem to concentrate on the pitch when that girl's around!" he complained, his eyebrows furrowed at the center in annoyance.

        "Juliet is a good Chaser, Harry. You made the right decision of giving her that position in the team."

        "But at the expense of  _distracting_  one of my other Chasers?"

        He had a point. Colin was indeed acting like some lovesick puppy this evening. She was tempted to hit the Bludger his way one too many times just to snap him out of his trance-like state whenever the waifish fifth year flew by within his vision range.

        "You need to talk to Colin then," suggested Ginny. It was the only way the poor bloke would be able to concentrate during the game or in this case, during practice.

        "I know," agreed Harry begrudgingly, "But  _how_  am I gonna talk to him without me wanting to wring his neck for acting so...so... _so_ —”

        Ginny walked in front of him and stopped Harry from finishing what he was about to say. She knew where Colin Creevey was coming from. He was obviously 'in love' with their newest team member and has tried numerous times to catch Juliet Webster's attention, but all his attempts were futile as far as the waifish fifth year was concerned.

        "Now, now, Harry, don't get on your high horse here as far as Colin's  _infatuation_  with Juliet is concerned. Remember,  _you_  were like that too when you were  _madly_  in love with Cho back in your third year up until your fifth year," she reminded him.

        Harry looked like he was going to argue, but he thought better of it and kept his mouth shut. Ginny had a point. He couldn't chastise Colin for being only human. And Juliet Webster wasn't hard on the eyes either.

        As the Gryffindor team rounded the corner to the staircases, a pair of raised voices – male and female – was echoing down the hallway. Each of the seven Quidditch players stopped and exchanged confused looks. Ginny knew whom the female voice belonged to: Luna. She was arguing with someone whose voice doesn't sound like her brother's at all. And  _how_  would they be arguing when Ron was with her at the pitch.

        "God,  _why_  do you always have to be the blasted king of the corridor, huh?" yelled Luna, her eyes grew larger now than normal as she tried to restrain herself from sucker-punching the tall Prefect who towered before her.

        "And  _why_  do you have to always be a scatterbrain?" snapped Blaise Zabini back.

        "Scatterbrain?" Luna echoed, her voice rose another pitch. "I wasn't a scatterbrain you numbskull! I was  _studying!_ "

        "Studying?  _Ha!_  If you were doing that, you'd either be in the library  _or_  in your dormitory."

        "I just came from the library! I was reading over my notes then  _you_  came barrelling around!"

        "And you  _expect_  me to believe that?" Blaise managed to look  _and_  sound incredulous. Luna was really itching to knock his lights out by this time.

        "I don't give a fig what you believe in, Zabini. I was busy minding my own business, reading over what I made notes on when _you_ unceremoniously blocked my way."

        " _You_  should've been watching where you're going, Loony."

        "If  _you_  weren't such a nincompoop, you would've figured out to get out of the way when you saw me not paying attention!"

        Ginny, Harry, Ron, Colin, Seamus, Dean and Juliet watched as Zabini and Luna duked it out right there in the hallway. They weren't the only people the two attracted. Some of the students coming out of the library also stopped and stared at the two students arguing. From the corner of her eye Ginny caught somebody with luminous blond hair move up the queue. Glancing his way, Ginny's eyes briefly locked with Draco Malfoy's.

        Strange how  _connected_  she felt to him at that very moment. There was this unseen electricity that passed between them and let time stood still. And for once Ginny was able to see the face of the snarky, insult-driven pureblood with his guards down. She never knew he could look  _that_  angelic innocent even when he wasn't smirking or thinking he was God's greatest gift to mankind. He was almost approachable, but not entirely so.

        Luna and Zabini were still arguing. Everyone who heard them stopped and watched. Luna was ready to burst. Zabini wasn't far behind. They were both hurtling insult after insult at one another. It was too much and one of them was about to crack.

        And the person who did was the  _last_  person everyone expected to crack first under pressure.

        In full view of everyone well,  _almost_  everyone present out in the hallway Blaise Zabini grabbed Luna Lovegood by the arms, hauled her closer and planted those sweet as sin lips of his on hers, shutting the mouthy sixth year up.

        A collective gasp from everyone in the room went unnoticed as far as Blaise was concerned. He has had enough of the blond twit's yelling and insults. He needed to end their argument before they attracted  _teachers_  to their little fray. Kissing her hadn't been an option really. But the longer he watched her mouth move, the more he wanted to taste those sinful lips. He'd have hell to pay later for this one lack of judgement, but he wasn't about to deprive himself of the chance to have a go at what has been enticing him for days now.

        Ginny and Draco broke eye contact at the sound of everyone gasping in shock. It was then they noticed that Blaise and Luna stopped arguing and were now...eerily quiet.

        Turning to check on the bickering couple, both Ginny and Draco stared wide-eyed at what they were seeing.

        Zabini looked like he was about to swallow Luna's face! And Luna doesn't seem to mind that a prat like Zabini was  _mauling_  her! Ginny was scandalized. But not as scandalized as Ron who shoved between Harry and Ginny and stepped up to break the kiss.

        " _Oi!_  Get your hands off of her, Zabini!" he demanded, dragging his broom with him and walking with his shoulders squared and chest puffed out. He stopped right beside the two completely oblivious students and waited two seconds before clamping his hand on Zabini's shoulder and forced him away from Luna. "I said shove off, Zabini!" he snarled, grabbing Luna's arm with his other free hand and pulled her as far away from Zabini as possible.

        " _Hey!_ " Blaise cried, apparently he wasn't too happy to be pried away from Luna and glared at Ron. "What the hell do you want, Weasley?" he demanded.

        "What the hell do I want?" echoed Ron, his eyebrow cocked and his hand still not letting go of Luna's arm. "Dammit, Zabini, you're a  _Prefect_  and look at the example you're setting in front of the other students! Pawing an innocent girl just because you have an itch to scratch. Shame on you!"

        "I wasn't  _pawing_  on Loony!" denied Blaise, his cool blue eyes looked from the red head boy to the blond haired girl half-hidden behind the Gryffindor Prefect. "And  _she_  didn't even look like she was complaining if her soft whimperings were anything to go by," he smirked at that, remembering her sharp intake of break when his tongue snaked out of his lips and traced the soft petals of her mouth.

        "How would she be able to complain when you looked like you were about to swallow her entire head whole!"

        "I was not!"

        "Was to!"

        "Was not!"

        "The hell you weren't!" Ron exploded, shoving Luna behind him and stood up toe-to-toe against the Slytherin Prefect.

        Ginny averted her gaze and pushed her face against Harry's shoulder, "I don't want to see Zabini pulverize my brother. He's lost his marbles," she mumbled against his shoulder.

        "For someone who always makes fun of Luna, Ron sure looks like he's ready to tear Zabini to pieces," commented Dean from behind the couple.

        "Dammit! I wish I had my camera with me," Colin muttered as he watched the two Prefects duke it out.

        And all because of an unpopular (well, somewhat popular) Ravenclaw girl.

        "Is this  _really_  for real?" whispered Juliet, watching Zabini and Ron trade insults now while Luna stood idly behind Ron.

        "As real as it can ever be," nodded Seamus. "I didn't think Ron's got it in him to face-off with Zabini."

        "Ron's got way too much testosterone to hose the entire hallway down with," commented Harry.

        "Somebody better stop them," suggested Juliet.

        "How?" Colin frowned at the meek Chaser.

        "And  _who_  would stop them?" questioned Dean.

        "A Prefect can step in the middle of their fray and handle  _them_ ," Seamus suggested.

        "But the only available Prefects are the ones arguing their heads off," Colin pointed out.

        "True," agreed the other three.

        Ginny peered at her brother who was still in one piece and verbally assaulting Zabini. She could tell that everyone watching was having a field day trying to figure out  _why_  the two Prefects were at odds concerning the blond Ravenclaw.

        She could picture what the talk of the school would be about tomorrow morning. In as much as she admired her brother for being so damn noble, Ginny also faulted him for being so darn tactless. Somebody needed to rescue him from having his face rearranged by his opponent. And since everyone was too enthralled watching, it was left to _her_ , the sister, to march up there and break up the fight.

        "I guess I'll..." Ginny's voice trailed off when she saw, from the corner of her eye, Malfoy marched up to the two arguing Prefects, his shoulders squared, his jaw set and his forehead creased to an ugly scowl. Apparently he wasn't pleased at all with what the two Prefects were doing.

        "Zabini! Weasley! Knock it off and come with me. I'd like to have a word with you two  _now!_ " he ordered, his icy cool gaze boring a hole right through the two stubborn Prefects.

        Ron and Blaise stopped their bickering and turned at the sound of the Head Boy's voice. They both started to open their mouths to argue, but one look from Malfoy told them to think twice about what they were about to say. Without another word, the Gryffindor Prefect and the Slytherin Prefect followed the blond haired Head Boy towards a corridor leading away from the staircases. Malfoy stopped and let the other two precede him before turning to address the students still out in the hallway.

        "Back to your houses. Show's over everyone," he announced and gave each student still lingering in the hallway one last warning look, waited until one by one each eager spectator dispersed until it was just the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Luna were left. Draco noticed their small group and cocked an eyebrow. "I know Weasley's your friend, but he and Zabini needs to be taught a lesson. Back to your houses the lot of you  _now._ "

        "No," Ginny said forcefully and stepped up, away from Harry's side and planted her broom stick-end down beside her. "My brother's outnumbered. You and Zabini are housemates and you're  _Slytherin._  I don't trust the outcome of this little  _lecture_  will be fair and square."

        Draco's eyebrow rose up a notch. Typical. He expected to receive resistance after he made his decision to intervene. But for once he would prove this feisty redhead wrong and actually stand on neutral ground, giving both Zabini and Weasley the tongue-lashing they deserved for their show of testosterone moments ago.

        "Can't say I'm surprised, Weaselette," Draco drawled, his gray eyes locking with Ginny's dark brown ones. "Your brother was as out of line as Zabini was and all because of some silly twit," he spared a quick glance at Luna whom, by then, had her hand wrapped on her wand and ready to hex Malfoy, but Juliet who was closest to her stopped the temperamental blond from doing something foolish. Draco smirked before returning his gaze back at Ginny, "You're not going to take my word for it anyway even if I say I won't take sides so why not waste  _all_  our time and risk getting your arses shoved in detention if you don't go back to your dormitories."

        "I don't—”

        "It's alright, Ginny, I'll make sure Malfoy doesn't go out of line," reassured Hermione who appeared on the archway leading to the staircases. "Which classroom did you tell those two to meet you at, Malfoy?" she asked as she ascended the few steps.

        "You know which room, Granger. The first empty classroom to your left." Draco didn't look pleased to see the Head Girl join him while he had his little powwow with the two Prefects.

        "Alright," Hermione said haughtily before stopping to address Ginny, "Just go back to your houses, guys. I'll make sure Ron doesn't get clobbered by Malfoy and Zabini," she promised.

        Ginny wasn't convinced that no foul play would happen, knowing that Ron will at least have  _one_  ally while Malfoy and Zabini tag-teamed him was enough. She felt someone tug her arm. When she looked over her shoulder she found Harry standing behind her, urging her to return back to their dormitories. She went without another word, shouldering her broom she turned towards the staircase and lead the way back to Gryffindor Tower.


	4. IV. Rumor Mill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the REVISED chapters for this fanfic. Chapters posted after this one will be brand-spanking-new chapters that I started 13 years later since this fourth chapter was published. Lemme know what you think so far of the fic; I love hearing feedbacks from readers. Thanks!

HOGWARTS WAS ABLAZE WITH THE LATEST RUMOR to hit the rumour mill. Those students who were witnesses to the lip-locking action between Slytherin Prefect Blaise Zabini and Ravenclaw sixth year Luna Lovegood sure had a lot to talk about with their peers; it was the hottest topic of discussion at breakfast, lunch, dinner and in-between classes.

        And to add more fuel to the fire was the way Gryffindor Prefect Ron Weasley got involved and acted all hero-like rescuing the daffy Ravenclaw in the hands of the sly Slytherin. Another rumor was even started that Luna and Ron were  _secretly_  together and that seeing Blaise Zabini made a move on his girl brought out the mighty lion in the red haired Prefect.

        "That's absurd!" complained Ron when Ginny relayed to him this latest version of gossip she heard from one of the girls in the loo before she went to her last class of the day. The four of them - Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny - were congregated near the fireplace inside Gryffindor Tower late Thursday night after their second to the last practice before they faced-off with Ravenclaw for the first Quidditch match of the season. "Like  _I_  will consider going out with Loony."

        "First of all, quit calling Luna 'Loony' since she  _really_  detest that pet name. And secondly, what's wrong with Luna? She's not at all that bad to the eyes, is she?" Ginny demanded, fixing her brother with a look that matched Mrs. Weasley's when she wanted to reprimand any of her five - Percy was an exception since he was always Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes - sons and daughter.

        Ron cringed at the look his sister gave him. He couldn't believe how good of a mimic his sister was. She had a bit of each Weasley family member in her. It was amazing. But right now he was more terrified of her than amazed. Why? Because she'd beat the snot out of him if he doesn't get his act together. Why does it matter to her that he referred to Luna as 'Loony'? The Ravenclaw girl didn't seem to mind before, what changed?

        "Look, I'll call Lovegood 'Loony' for as long as I live. She's a loony!" He exclaimed, backing up his claim to calling Luna that awful name. "As for her not bad to the eyes...okay, so she's a wee bit of a looker, but not entirely so. Her flakiness overshadows her so-called good looks."

        Ginny's glare at her brother never wavered. Ron suddenly felt like ducking out of her eyes' range so he'd escape the scorching hot glare.

        Harry figured he'd rescue his friend from further damage by clearing his throat and changing topics from the rumors to Quidditch. He called out Colin, Dean, Seamus and Juliet to join them as they discussed strategies to beat their first opponent. Their first game was against Ravenclaw (Ginny passed a sly smirk at her brother; Ron ignored her with a smirk of his own) and warned them that Ravenclaw players are stronger and more cunning than ever this year.

        “We’ve seen them at practice,” Harry reminded his teammates. “Better not underestimate this year’s players,” he warned.

        In the middle of Harry's speech, Hermione was forced to voice out a nagging concern that had her in stitches since it was announced that Quidditch season was back.

        "Are you sure continuing on with Quidditch while there's a war going on is advisable?" She asked worriedly.

        Harry, Ron, Ginny, Seamus, Dean and Juliet all gave her weird looks. It was like Hermione just said something Mrs. Weasley or even her own mother would want to hear her say.

        "Hermione, Quidditch is the  _only thing_  that will keep the students at bay," Juliet said slowly, her eyes watching the Head Girl carefully. "They are frantic as it is, worrying that any time Death Eaters would storm the school and hex everyone to oblivion. Quidditch is the only thing that'll make these students feel  _safe_."

        "Juliet is right," agreed Seamus. "The Headmaster wanted us to act like their isn't a war going on right now."

        "And the only way we can put some sort of  _calm_  amongst the students is to keep them preoccupied with Quidditch!" exclaimed Dean.

        "We need to get the school's spirit up, so we  _have_  to have Quidditch," Colin added.

        Hermione knew when she was outnumbered. Apparently she was barking the wrong tree. But she was only after everyone's safety. She was glad that at least the students were preoccupied with something other than worrying about their behinds being blown off while they were in class, but she was worried that while everyone got busy concentrating on Quidditch, Voldemort and his Death Eaters might spring a surprise attack on them when everyone at Hogwarts were vulnerable.

        Harry watched Hermione's worried face as she tried not to say anything in an attempt to rally everyone up to boycott Quidditch. Truth be told he was as worried as she was about everyone's safety, but his teammates was right; the school needs some sort of normal semblance amidst the current state of the wizarding world now that Voldemort was back.

        Hermione felt someone watching her. The hairs at the back of her head prickled that all-too-familiar feeling whenever a certain pair of eyes was on her. She couldn't figure it out at first  _who_  was capable of making the hairs at the back of her head stand like that; she'd been looked at, stared at, and at one point in time during the Yule Ball back in her fourth year she had been gawked at, but none of those 'looks' alerted her of  _who_  was watching her. Lifting her gaze from the group of eager Quidditch players all excited about the upcoming start of Quidditch season, Hermione's eyes locked gazes with the brightest green eyes she'd know anywhere. After all she had been looking into those same pair of green eyes for the past seven years, since that fateful day she met him onboard the Hogwarts Express on the first of September.

        His green eyes spoke volumes. He relayed to her what he couldn't say out loud, but Hermione felt relieved that at least  _he_  understood and was listening to her futile plea. Maybe that would make him be extra careful when he was perched on his broomstick dodging Bludgers and Beaters alike while on the hunt for the elusive Golden Snitch.

        Ginny chose that very moment to look up and caught the look Hermione and Harry just shared. Cocking an eyebrow, a knowing smile hovered on her lips but she didn't dare let it show. Something was crackling in the air, and she knew if she dared open her mouth, another rumor that mustn't be let out of the box might start -  _and_  she didn't dare want to be a part of it!

 

* * *

 

DAMMIT RON! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'D BE STUPID enough to land yourself in detention!" Harry was fuming Friday evening at dinner after Ron told them his news. "We have  _practice_  tonight. Our  _last practice_  before the match tomorrow!"

        "You're mad at Ron for missing practice tonight?" Hermione sounded appalled. She was outraged when Ron broke the news to them as soon as they sat down. Thankfully she was seated across her two best friends and not beside either one of them, otherwise Ron would've choked to death by now with Hermione's help. "I can't believe a school  _Prefect_  could land himself in detention!"

        "Look, it's not my fault, alright?" Ron hissed, feeling as big as a teacup already for what he just got himself in to. "Damn Basco and his smart mouth," he mumbled, dropping the name of the sixth year Slytherin he got into scrap with in between classes earlier that afternoon.

        "Even so," Hermione reprimanded. "You're a Prefect for Merlin's sake! You should've known better than to shove his wand up his arse!"

        Ginny's eyes widen and turned to look at her brother. " _You_  were the one who did that to Basco?" There was a mixture of mock horror and glee that crossed the youngest Weasley's eyes.

        "I didn't literally shove his wand up his arse," defended Ron.

        Hermione cocked an eyebrow.

        "I swear I didn't. I  _jinxed_  his wand to go haywire and, hey, it just  _miraculously_  went up where his excrements come out," he said with a careless shrug.

        "Ew,  _Ron!_ " Lavander and Parvati complained. They were within hearing range of what the foursome were discussing and couldn't help but feel disgusted at Ron's chosen words.

        "What?" Ron frowned at the two then ignored them again. Meeting Hermione's disapproving glare, he slumped his shoulders in defeat and tried to placate his friend, but Hermione would hear none of it.

        Finally dinner was over and as each student filed out of the Great Hall to go to their respective houses, Ron was dreading the moment he had to spend in detention with Snape. He was unfortunate enough to be caught hexing Basco by his least favourite professor.

        Ginny tried to console her brother, but she wouldn't be Fred and George's sister if she didn't rub in the fact that while Ron was stuck serving whatever kind of detention Snape cooked up for him to serve, she'd be having fun with the rest of the team on the Quidditch Pitch practicing before the game the next day. They were halfway towards the staircases when they were joined by a sullen looking Luna. She walked up beside Ron, her arms crossed over her shoulders and albeit looking sullen, she kept her chin high.

        " _Oi!_  What are you doing here, Loony? You're heading the wrong way back to your house," Ron told her, inching away from the girl who was responsible for him landing in detention.

        "I told you to quit calling me that, Ronniekins," Luna replied evenly. "And I am not heading the wrong way. I'm headed where  _you're_  headed," she announced.

        " _What?_ " Ron wasn't the only one surprised to hear what she just said. Ginny stopped dead on her tracks, Harry nearly collided with her since she stopped without warning.

        "Luna, don't tell me you have detention too!" exclaimed Ginny.

        "Eight o'clock with Professor Snape," Luna replied without blinking.

        Ron's eyes bulged out from their sockets. "Oh hell no!" he exclaimed.

        Ginny made a face at her brother then asked her friend, "What for?"

        "Apparently today wasn't Basco's lucky day," Luna shrugged.

        "What?" Ron didn't know whether he should be proud that Basco got more than one comeuppance or feel sorry for the jerk.

        "After Madam Pomfrey patched him up, our last class was Herbology. It wasn't my fault that a Fanged Geranium bit his butt cheek after he made more than two snide remarks about a certain rumor floating about concerning a Ravenclaw, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin," she gave a careless shrug and resumed walking.

        Ron stared, open-mouthed, at the blond sixth year as she walked towards the staircase leading to the dungeons where Snape's classroom was located. Hermione walked up to Harry and whispered, "Was she serious?"

        "A-apparently so," Harry nodded, he couldn't keep a straight face after what he just heard. No wonder Basco was sitting a bit queerly earlier. But he thought it was due to Ron's wand-up-the-arse jinx; little did he know the sixth year had another mishap after his encounter with Ron.

 

* * *

 

 

NICE PRACTICE,” COMMENTED DRACO AT the passing redhead. He waited until everyone of her teammates cleared the pitch and it was just Ginny walking back towards the locker rooms.

        Ginny’s guard was up when she saw Malfoy appear from hiding in the shadows. He had his robe’s hood up, helping conceal his blond hair from sticking out and helping him hide more effectively in the shadows.

        “What do you want, Ferret Breath?” she huffed. She continued walking past him back to the locker rooms.

        Draco followed the redhead, keeping his hood on and sticking to the shadows. The last thing he wanted was to be embroiled in the rumor mill floating around school if he was spotted talking to the female Weasley.

        “Can’t a fellow player compliment another player?”

        Ginny cocked a brow and gave him a sideways glare. “You’re a player from my house’s number one rival. I don’t trust you.”

        “Whoa, upfront much, Weaselette?” Draco couldn’t help himself from teasing her.

        “Just being brutally honest,” she corrected. “Anyway, what are you doing here? Slytherin doesn’t have a practice tonight.” She should know since she checked the schedule to see who will be taking over after Gryffindor’s practice. And since the match tomorrow was against Ravenclaw, their team was scheduled for practice in half an hour.

        “I was doing my usual patrolling,” was his nonchalant reply.

        “More like skulking in the dark waiting to pounce on your prey,” Ginny hissed under her breath. She gave his all-black ensemble another quick sideways glance; even his shirt and trousers, not to mention shoes, were all black.

        He was dressed for stealth.

        It reminded Ginny of one of those Muggle spy movies Hermione showed her. The spies in the movies infiltrate and do reconnaissance of the places they were about to attack, then report back to their superiors about what they found out to better strategize their move.

        _Oh no!_ Could Malfoy be a spy for the Death Eaters? His father was outed as one of the Death Eater, along with a few other parents of his fellow housemates. She was surprised that Dumbledore still allowed them to attend Hogwarts after all was said and done.

        Draco heard the slight catch of her breath. He gave the redhead a sideways glance and noted that her pallor changed too. She looked shaken and a tad bit scared too. Was she worried about tomorrow’s opening match against Ravenclaw? She sure didn’t look like she was worried at all the last few nights he watched her practice with her team.

        “Everything okay, Weaselette?”

        “Uh-hm,” she nodded, walking with her back a tad bit stiffer and her gaze completely averted from even giving him a sideways glance.

        Something was definitely wrong. Did something spook her? Did she see something she shouldn’t have? He had been keeping a close eye around the Pitch this evening, knowing that the Death Eaters were planning an attack at anytime. He tried to get as much intel on the impending attack, but he was being kept in the dark about most of the planning.

        “Better head on back to your dormitory, Weaselette,” he advised, stopping when they reached the archway leading to the lockers. “I don’t want to have to end up docking points off Gryffindor the day before the inaugural Quidditch match,” he added with a smirk, giving the still rattled redhead a saucy wink before turning to head the opposite direction from her.

        Something definitely got her spooked, and he’d be damned if he didn’t find out what it was that spooked her. If she wasn’t close friends with Potter and his group he wouldn’t worry much, but he knew Potter was her ex-boyfriend and they shared everything together, including ganging up on Death Eaters and ridding them off Hogwarts if not the whole wizarding community.


	5. V. Suspicion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a brand-spanking-new chapter written in 2018! Well, close to the end of 2018, but still, it's a new chapter that is a continuation of this fanfic. What do you think so far?
> 
> In case I forgot to mention in previous chapters, this fanfic is COMPLETELY AU with a few references to events from both the books and the movies. I just want to get that out there before I get any backlash for not staying canon for this fic.

GINNY STILL CAN’T SHAKE OFF THE feeling that something wasn’t right. She’d always been suspicious of Malfoy, and never once did that suspicion of hers faltered. Sure she’d been having these crazy, unexplainable reactions to the guy whenever they happen to be in the same vicinity, but her irritation over him still overpowers whatever non-irritated feelings she might have for the git.

        “You okay, Gin?” Harry asked, sliding beside her at the table over breakfast.

        Ginny snapped out of her reverie and gave her ex-boyfriend a reassuring smile. “Peachy,” she answered.

        “You sure? ‘Coz you look like you’re having cold feet there or something,” Ron said, sliding in to his seat across from her.

        “I’m not,” she glared at her brother. “What about you? Ready for our first match of the season?”

        “Hell yeah!” Ron grinned, pumping his fists slightly over his head before popping a piece of sliced strawberry in his mouth. “I have a bloody good feeling about today’s match,” he added.

        “A bloody good feeling that a brand new song made just for you will make its debut?” Luna said in a sing-songy voice from behind Ron, causing the Gryffindor Keeper to nearly spill the contents of his fruit bowl when he jumped out of his seat in surprise.

        “Bloody hell, Loony! Don’t scare me like that,” he snapped, twisting his body sideways so he can glare at the blond Ravenclaw. “And why are you being a creeper right now? Shouldn’t you be joining your housemates at your table to show your support?”

        “I will, in a moment,” was her nonchalant reply.

        Ginny and Harry watched in amusement as Luna and Ron volleyed insults back and forth at each other. It wasn’t a common sight to see, but lately Luna and Ron seem to be butting heads more often than not; and they seemed quite comfortable doing it too. To an outsider it might even look like they were having a lover’s quarrel, but to those who knew that there was nothing going on between the two knows that Ron’s being an arse and riling Luna up for no reason other than his twisted sense of enjoyment.

        “Oh please get a bloody room already!” Blaise Zabini walked up to the arguing couple, immediately stopping their bickering and turned to the newcomer as one and glared him to oblivion (if their glares could do it, it would’ve happened).

        “Sod off, Zabini!” Ron and Luna yelled at the same time.

        “Whoa, touchy this morning, aren’t we?” Zabini raised his hands up and backed off from the two a little.

        “What do you want, Zabini?” Ron spat, his mood turning sour at the sight of the Slytherin Prefect.

        “Can’t a supportive schoolmate just wish his fellow schoolmates good luck on today’s match?”

        “Coming from a slimy knob head like you? I say you’re most likely to jinx our teams than wish us luck,” Luna huffed, crossing her arms over her midriff and cocking a challenging brow at him. Her mood turned sour too when Zabini made an appearance to ruin their not-so-friendly bickering.

        “Ho-ho! Somebody’s rapidly growing a backbone here,” Zabini tsked, giving Luna a quick once over. “Don’t you have any respect for Prefects?”

        “When he’s a plonker like you, no, I don’t,” she answered without skipping a beat.

        Their little group was beginning to attract the attention of not only the people at the Gryffindor table, but also the attention of the other students from the other tables. It was really a sight to see having three different house members congregating around. Granted it wasn’t a friendly gathering the trio were showing, but given the ‘scandal’ the trio were embroiled in not too long ago, they quickly become popular amongst the school’s notorious gossipmongers and wanted to know any and all update that would serve as fodder to the rumor mill.

        “You three again causing a ruckus?” Draco walked up behind Zabini, his forehead creased to a frown as he glared at the three students causing a commotion inside the Great Hall.

        “ _He_ started it,” Luna pointed an accusatory finger at Zabini.

        “What did I do?” Zabini feigned innocence.

        “You can’t help from sticking your nose in other’s business, mate,” Ron said matter-of-factly.

        “I wasn’t—”

        “That’s enough!” Draco didn’t want to hear anymore. He thought he’d have a peaceful breakfast this morning before the start of the match, but as soon as he entered the Great Hall he was greeted by raised voices coming from the Gryffindor table, and one of the voices that carried over was Zabini’s. “I don’t know why you three keep on harping at each other. Ten points off Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and, I hate to do this, but Zabini you should’ve known better, but ten points off Slytherin,” he said, causing the three students to gasp in outrage at what he had done.

        “Why?” they questioned in unison.

        Draco gave all three of them a leveled glared. “For disrupting the peace and tranquility of other students present.”

        Luna was about to argue, but Ron grabbed her wrist and yanked her down on the seat beside him, preventing her from further arguing with the Head Boy. He was miffed that he caused Gryffindor to lose House Points, but he was placated when Malfoy also deducted points off his fellow housemate.

        “Don’t push it. He might deduct more from Ravenclaw,” he warned the still agitated blond.

        “Malfoy, what the hell, mate?” Zabini argued.

        “Shut it, Zabini, unless you want me to dock more points off because you’re being a prat?” Draco warned. “Now c’mon, let’s eat. I’m starving,” he announced, reaching out to grab Zabini by the shoulder.

        Ginny’s shoulders snapped to attention when she caught sight of Malfoy’s bandaged hand. She doesn’t recall seeing a bandage on his hand yesterday or even last night after she walked back to the locker rooms with him from the pitch.

        Draco felt Ginny’s stare on his hand and quickly retrieved it from Zabini’s shoulder. He cursed himself for being careless. He didn’t want to attract attention to his injury, which he acquired after they parted ways last night. He didn’t want to draw attention to his hand and answer any questions he wasn’t prepared to answer or _can’t_ answer rather.

        “C’mon, Zabini! Ogle Lovegood later,” he snapped when Zabini wouldn’t move.

        “ _Malfoy!_ ” Zabini growled, his face turning a nice shade of brick red before stomping off.

        Draco followed his irritated friend, keeping his injured hand down and moved his robe’s sleeve so it would cover his hand some more.

        Ginny watched Malfoy walk away following his disgruntled housemate. Her eyes kept on darting down to the hand he was trying to cover to keep her from seeing the bandage that she was a hundred percent sure wasn’t there last night. Was her suspicion about him being a spy was true? His getup the night before was highly suspicious, plus he was skulking in the shadows as well so her jumping to the conclusion that he was up to no good and working with Death Eaters wouldn’t be a far off assumption.


	6. VI. Pregame Chat

GINNY WAS THE LAST ONE TO head to the Gryffindor locker room. She was held back by Luna who needed to vent and had nobody else to vent to. Hermione would’ve been a nice sounding board for the odd Ravenclaw, but the Head Girl was busy doing Head Girl stuff and none of Luna’s housemates would bother to listen to her gripe about her annoyance towards Ron and Zabini.

        “Aren’t you cutting it close there, Weaselette?”

        Ginny staggered to a complete stop after hearing the all too familiar sneer of the one person who both infuriate and intrigue her.

        “What are you doing loitering around here, Ferret Breath? Shouldn’t you be keeping watch of the other students out on the stands?” She saw him lounging against one of the pillars looking extremely bored, his injured hand hidden from her view.

        “I will be going out soon,” he reassured her, pushing himself away from the pillar and closing the distance separating them. “I’m just making sure no strays decided to linger around here before the start of the match,” he added, standing before her and completely towering over her.

        Malfoy did a considerable amount of growing this past couple of years. He wasn’t the scrawny, scruffy looking prat she met back in her first year at Hogwarts.

        “Now _why_ would students be loitering around the locker room area, hm?” She got him there. She had to take a step or two back so she can look him straight in the eyes and not suffer from a stiff neck right before the start of the match; that would just be damn uncomfortable if she developed one and had to remain perched on her broomstick for a considerable amount of time until the game ends.

        “You never know,” Malfoy gave a nonchalant one-shoulder shrug. “Students nowadays are getting to be a tad bit creative and daring when they want to have an assignation with their boyfriend or girlfriend.”

        “What are you really doing here, Malfoy?” Ginny demanded.

        “Like what I said, I'm checking on possible loiterers,” he insisted. “Why? You thought I was here to wish you luck?” He scoffed.

        “What?!” Ginny's face turned as red as the Hogwarts Express. How dare he think she was one of the many girls in school who was vying for his attention.

        “There you are, Gin!” Harry spoke from the locker room doorway. He hasn't noticed Malfoy with her, but his ignorance of the Slytherin's presence was short lived when he roved his eyes and landed on the platinum blond Head Boy. “What are you doing here, Malfoy?” He demanded.

        “To talk to you,” he deadpanned. “Got a minute to spare?”

        Harry was suspicious of the Slytherin. It wasn't like Malfoy to seek him out. He usually avoids him and only ever pester him when they happen to run into each other or during class.

        “Match’s about to start,” Harry answered. He was curious to know why Malfoy wanted to speak to him, but at the same time he didn’t want to know.

        “I know,” Malfoy agreed. “Got a minute?” He repeated.

        _Damn insistent bugger,_ Harry mentally growled as he glared at the Slytherin.

        “I told you, match is about to start,” he repeated through gritted teeth.

        “I _know_ ,” Malfoy repeated. “Look, Potter, I won’t be bothering with this if it wasn’t so damn important. So, you got a freaking minute to spare? I really won’t take a damn ‘no’ for an answer.”

        “Better listen to what he has to say then, Harry,” Ginny said followed by a heavy sigh. “I’ll go in and let the others know you’re detained for a couple of minutes,” she patted his arm as she walked past, her gaze shooting a warning at Malfoy to make sure he doesn’t detain Harry any longer than two minutes.

        Malfoy heard her warning loud and clear. He gave a slight nod acknowledging that he understood her warning. He waited until the redhead was out of earshot before returning his attention back to the man who has been a bane of annoyance to him since meeting the trouble-loving wizard back in their first year.

        “Well?” Harry demanded. He didn’t want to remain out here talking to Malfoy any longer than Draco wanted to remain out here talking to him. He’d rather talk to Weaslette instead of Scarhead.

        “Be on alert,” he warned.

        “What?” Harry frowned.

        “You know what I mean. Be. On. Alert.” Draco repeated, punctuating the last three words with force to get his point across.

        “You can’t be serious!” Harry exclaimed, finally figuring out the Slytherin’s cryptic message. “Why the hell should I believe you? You’re just messing with my head so Gryffindor loses this first match,” he accused.

        “Would I stoop that low just to get back at you for what you did to my father?” he smirked.

        “Yes,” Harry squared his shoulders and met the Slytherin’s gaze.

        Draco held the stubborn Gryffindor’s gaze longer. He admit, a couple or so years ago doing what Potter just accused him of trying to do would be what this whole conversation was about. But over the course of the last couple of years, things changed.

        _He_ changed. Whether it was for the better or for the worse he doesn’t know yet, but he knew he wasn’t that boy anymore who was petty and mischievous and was always after impressing and doing his father’s every bidding.

        “I don’t have time to argue with you about this. I already said my piece, now it’s up to you whether you take heed or shove it in the trash.” Draco squared his shoulders and with one final stare-down sharply turned and headed towards the stands.


	7. VII. First Hit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delayed update. This chapter took a bit more time to finish even though I have an idea on what's gonna happen. Somehow my muse can't find the right ending for this chapter hence the delay. Hope you enjoy it & leave a comment letting me know what you think of the story so far. Thanks!

THE MATCH WAS WELL UNDERWAY with Gryffindor in the lead by at least twenty points against Ravenclaw when the alarm sounded off. There was a breach from the Forbidden Forest and making its way towards the crowded Quidditch Pitch where almost everyone from the school was congregated.

        “ _EVERYBODY BACK TO THE CASTLE! NOW!_ ” Professor McGonagall’s voice boomed over the pitch as teachers directed towards the exit.

        The players were being herded by Madam Hooch back to the locker room area then out the building to join the rest of the students heading back to the castle.

        “Dammit. I can’t believe that prat was right,” Harry hissed through gritted teeth as he led his teammates from the locker room back to the castle.

        “Everything okay, Harry?”

        “Yeah, I’m fine,” he snapped then spoke over Ginny’s head to call out to the rest of his teammates to hurry up.

        Ginny was taken aback by Harry’s sudden change of mood. She wasn’t sure what he and Malfoy talked about after they left them alone, but Harry looked really peeved when he rejoined everybody in the locker room before they all made their way to the pitch.

        “Hurry, Ginny!” Harry called over his shoulder when he noticed that she was lagging behind.

        Chaos was abound as Dementors made their way towards the pitch where a large group was congregated cheering on the ongoing match. Teachers not herding children to safety were throwing spells and Patronuses to keep the Dementors from getting near any of the students.

        Hermione, Malfoy and the Prefects joined the teachers in keeping the Dementors away. Ginny was surprised to see the same expression on Malfoy’s face that she saw on Harry’s after Professor McGonagall’s voice boomed around the pitch telling everyone to evacuate back to the castle immediately.

        Ginny was lost in her thought she didn’t realize other stampeding students pushed her away from Harry and her teammates. She can hardly see them and based on the high pitched screams from students barreling towards her, a Dementor was on their tail and moving fast.

        “Calm down!” Ginny yelled to the top of her lungs at the screaming and frantic first and second years. But her warning fell on deaf ears and she was continuously shoved aside.

        She took a quick survey of who else was nearby other than lower year students, but she can’t find anyone from her year or house. She saw the Dementor making its way towards them, and other teachers as well as Prefects were busy warding off other Dementors that no one was covering for them.

        “Dammit,” she hissed under her breath and moved against the flow of students to make it to the end of the stampede line. She learned how to cast a Patronus Charm a few years ago, and since then her Patronus Charm casting as grown stronger thanks to Harry often training with her just in case a Dementor attacks.

        Reaching the end of the stampeding students, with her wand held out in front of her Ginny yelled out “ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” the same time another person yelled it coming from her left. Two sets of bright silvery light manifested and two large four-legged animal shapes took form and drove the Dementors away.

        Students watched in awe as two large majestic four-legged beasts; one a white Arabian horse with long mane and the other a chestnut colored Arabian horse charge out and drove the attacking Dementors away.

        Deafening silence followed the departing Dementors before an ear-splitting cheer erupted from the dumfounded students once they realized they were saved.

        “Back to the castle the lot of you!” ordered the Head Boy who walked up beside a bewildered Ginny gawking at him. “Close your mouth, Weaslette. You’re gawking,” Malfoy added but only Ginny heard what he said.

        “I’m _not_ gawking!” she denied. And she wasn’t gawking. Really. She wasn’t. She was just...surprised to see Malfoy’s Patronus since last she heard he wasn’t able to conjure one – at all.

        “If you’re not gawking, then help me make sure these students get back to the castle in one piece,” he ordered, urging the first and second years to continue walking towards the direction of the castle.

        “That’s what I’m doing,” she grumbled, herding the students near her and accompanied them back to the castle.

        Between Ginny and Malfoy, the students were escorted back to the castle without further fanfare and handed off to the teachers guarding the main entrance doors.

        “Stay here Weaslette,” Malfoy ordered once all the students they escorted were safely secured back inside the castle.

        “Where are you going?” Ginny demanded, grabbing him by the wrist, stopping him from leaving them.

        “Where do you think?” he smirked, his eyes moving down to look at where here hand was gripping his wrist. “Unhand me, Weaslette,” he ordered.

        “You’re going back out there?” Ginny didn’t release her hold on his wrist.

        Draco tried to shrug off her hand, but her grip was vice-like around his wrist, making it hard to easily shake it off. “I am Head Boy, Weaslette, I _have_ to go back out there and make sure everyone returned back to the castle unharmed.” He wasn’t sure why he had to explain that to her, but the look in her eyes told him she was looking for an answer to a question that she hasn’t voiced out yet.

        “You knew this attack was coming, didn’t you?” she accused.

        Draco sucked in an annoyed breath between his teeth. Did Potter tell her what they discussed after he told her to leave them alone? _Of course he did!_ They were once a couple, weren’t they? They sure act like they were still together even though rumor has it they called it quits a long time ago.

        “Get back inside, Weaslette,” he ordered and this time he used enough force to make her let go of his wrist. “Make sure those students are save and help out the other teachers fending the Dementors off. You have quite a powerful Patronus there,” he added as he ran down the steps.

        Ginny wanted to run after him and demand an answer, but a hand clamped down on her shoulder, stopping her from running after the Head Boy.

        “Let’s go, Gin,” it was Harry. “Let Malfoy do what he needs to do. Everyone’s gathering back at the dorm,” he added when he noticed she wasn’t going to budge.

        “But Harry—”

        “Now is not the time, Ginny.” He gripped her shoulder a bit tightly, letting her know that he knew what was going through her mind.

        It was scary how much Harry knew what she was thinking even though they’re no longer together. He was busy hanging out with Ron and Hermione while she was busy...well, she was busy hanging out with Luna and her other friends.

        “But—”

        “I have questions too, Gin. Believe me, I do, but right now let them handle those Dementors and let’s look after the rest of our housemates, alright?” he reasoned.

        Ginny inhaled sharply then slowly expel her breath. She did this a couple of times until she felt calm enough to nod in acquiescence before following him back inside the castle. She was already too exhausted from the match to argue and her initial adrenalin from the attack was now waning.

 

= * = * = * =

 

        DRACO SLUMPED AGAINST THE wall on his way back to the Slytherin dungeon. It took the teachers, Head Boy, Head Girl and Prefects a good hour and a half before all the unleashed Dementors were taken care of. It took everyone another hour or two to make sure that all the students who haven’t reported back to their respective dorms were located and brought to their house heads.

        He hasn’t quite perfected his Patronus yet, and using it more than his usual two limit sure took its toll on him. Actually he was able to use it three times before he felt exhausted; the first time he used his Patronus was when he charged to where Weaslette was. Granted she helped him with her own Patronus, but even so, he had to exert a huge amount of energy to drive away the herd of Dementors unleashed on them so he should’ve been exhausted by the time he used that spell a third time.

        “Care to explain what the hell were you doing driving the Dementors away?” demanded an annoyed Goyle towering over Draco’s nearly slumped form.

        Draco doesn’t have time for this. He knew he’d receive flack from some of his housemates for doing what a _Head Boy_ was supposed to do, but none of those moronic followers of that blasted Dark Lord have the brain cells to figure that out unless it was spelled out for them.

        “I can’t blow my cover now, can I?” he snarked. He might be tired, but he still has some fight left in him. And he won’t let one of his lackeys talk down on him. He pushed himself off the wall and straightened up. He did a lot of growing over the years and now he was able to somewhat look down his nose at Goyle, but not by much though since the guy sprouted like crazy over the last couple of years, but not enough to completely tower over him. “Is there anything else you want to talk to me about or that all you’re bitching about?”

        Goyle looked like he was ready to devour him. His nostrils were flaring and his eyes were murderous. Goyle took after his hardcore parents whose support on the Dark Lord was all out. Draco was once like him; a firm believer of the Death Eater leader, but something changed over the last couple of years and now he was just going through the motions of putting up a front so his parents won’t receive flack from other Death Eaters whose believe was firm while theirs were slowly waning.

        “C’mon, lads, it’s been one helluva long night,” Blaise stepped up and broke the tense moment. “We all need to keep up appearances here, ya know?” he wrapped his arm around Goyle’s shoulders and gave him a side hug of sorts.

        It took a few more cajoling from Blaise before Goyle stood down and moved, leaving Draco alone. He knew his actions this evening would raise a flag amongst the other Death Eater students, but he has had enough of following the Dark Lord’s vision and ways. For once he wanted to enjoy his final year as a student at Hogwarts like any other soon-to-be-former Hogwarts students: carefree. And yes, perhaps worried about their safety too, but they were too busy enjoying their carefree lives to worry about a Death Eater attack, like what happened this evening.

        Draco was greeted by a near-empty common room. Goyle and the other hardcore Death Eater supporter already called it a night, the only one left was Zabini, and he seemed to be waiting for him.

        “Why are you still up?” Draco questioned.

        Blaise smirked and pushed himself off the high winged back armchair. He closed the distance between them while chanting something under his breath and making discreet movements with his wand he kept face-down as he walked.

        “You need to watch it, Malfoy. Goyle and Crabbe’s parents are hardcore supporters of the Dark Lord and those two are passionate about following in their parents’ footsteps,” he warned once he stopped a good foot away from him.

        “What did you just do?” Draco questioned.

        “Nothing,” was Blaise’s nonchalant response. “Just cast a cloaking spell on us so unwanted ears won’t be able to listen in to what we’re talking about.”

        “And _what_ are we talking about?” Draco’s guards went up as soon as he heard Zabini say those words. Nobody knows he was having second thoughts about following the Dark Lord and his minions, but the way Zabini was acting he sounded like he knew something.

        “Come now, Malfoy, don’t take me for a fool,” Blaise cajoled. “I have eyes too, mate. And these eyes have perfect twenty-twenty vision,” he added.

        “What are you talking about?” he frowned.

        “Are you really going to play dumb right now, Head Boy?”

        “Zabini, I had a rough time of it so unless you start not talking in tongues, I’m going to bed.” Draco tried to walk around the annoying Prefect, but Zabini was good at blocking. “Zabini...” he growled.

        “C’mon Malfoy, I thought we’re good mates. You know you can trust me.”

        “Trust you with what?” He might as well humor the Prefect otherwise Zabini wouldn’t leave him alone.

        “I saw you charge towards the Weasley girl even though you knew Hermione and Ron were closest to where she was.”

        “What the hell are you talking about?” Draco’s spine straightened and his guard doubled. Damn, was he that obvious? He wasn’t thinking clearly when he went charging towards the attacking Dementors. He already spotted them before he realized Weaslette was with that group of students. He thought she was with Potter since he spotted them running away together the last time he checked on her.

        “Admit it, Malfoy. You _like_ Ginny Weasley.”

        “What the hell are you talking about?” Him _like_ Ginny Weasley? He was fascinated with her, sure, but _like_ her? “I think your so-called twenty-twenty vision needs to be checked.”

        “Deny it all you want, but it’s obvious you have a thing for the youngest Weasley. And” – he closed the distance between them again – “I don’t blame you. She’s quite a looker. But,” he took a step back, “don’t worry, I am not after your lady love,” he reassured a peeved looking Malfoy.

        “Let me guess, you’re after Lovegood,” Draco deadpanned, enjoying the blood draining from the smug Zabini’s face. He didn’t wait to hear the Prefect’s comeback and walked away with a smug smirk on his face.


End file.
